Phil Lilienthal, Ethiopia 6 (1965-67), worked as a lawyer and started a summer camp, Camp Langano, in Ethiopia.

The camp ran for the two summers he was there and then was given to the YMCA, where it ran successfully until the overthrow of Haile Sellassie in 1974.

Phil has been a summer camp owner and director for 30 years and is now looking to return to Africa to set up summer camps as a tool for development.

By getting children away from their homes , neighborhoods, and villages during the part of the school vacation, they can meet children from other tribes, religions and ethnic groups. In this way they can dispel some of the derogatory prejudices that get learned early on.

The idea will be to have a pilot project in one country; at this time, South Africa, Botswana, Kenya or Ethiopia. There would be a four-year time table to get the camp established, train the counselor staff in-country and eventually in the US, and have a phasing out of the expatriate Camp Director and training a host country national to take it over.

Phil will be making a final selection of countries this June and, because of the short time, is interested in recruiting talent for the Director position. He would like former volunteers from those countries with an interest in returning for a period of about three years. It would be useful to have some camping experience, or experience in some area that might translate into camping, such as education, social services, or youth development, or in running a small business.

Salary, housing and transportation would enable the person to live comfortably but not lavishly and would be dependent upon the country selected.

Please email Phil at UnkPhilCW@aol.com if you are interested. The job would begin in September, 2003.

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Story Source: Press Release

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